Fire-alarm system



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-'Sheet 1.

L. G. ROWAND]. FIRE ALARMSYSTEM.

No. 477,069. Patented June 14, 1892.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

. L. G. ROWAND.

FIRE ALARM SYSTEM. No. 477,069. Patented June 14, 1892.

Lewes @Rowm (No Kohl.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

L. G. ROWAND. FIRE ALARM SYSTEM.

Patented June 14, 1892.

@QQNPN a Inventor f lien L's Q-ROWW 5y has flfiarne ye UNITED STATESPATENT ()FFICE.

LEWVIS G. ROVAND, OF CAMDEN, NEIV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO HENRY O. TERRY, OFPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

FIRE-ALARM SYSTEM.

$PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 477,069, dated June 14,1892. Application filed December 14, 1891. Serial No. 415,054. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

@Be it known that I, LEWIS G. ROWAND, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Camden, Camden county, New Jersey, have inventedcertain Improvements in Fire-Alarm Systems, of which the following is aspecifica- 131011.

My invention relates to certain improvements in fire-alarm systems, moreparticularly those in which the alarm is sounded at a central stationfrom a building provided withswitches,push-buttons,orthermostaticalarms, the present invention beingfor a construction of mechanical signaling-alarm by which the circuitsof the main line to the central station are alternately made and brokenfor the purpose of sounding the number of the building at such centralstation.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional view on the line x00, Fig. 2, of a mechanical alarm constructed in accordance with myinvention. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same, looking in the directionof the arrow, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is adetached perspective view of a portion of the device. Figs. 5, 6, and '7are views illustrating different positions ofa portion of the lockingmechanism, and Figs. 8 and 9 are diagrams illustrating the alarm indifferent circuits.

In general the alarm comprises a mechanically-driven train of gearswhich is normally locked in position and prevented from rotating bycatches under the control of the armatures of electro-magnets energizedby the closing of an electric circuit either by a thermostat or from aground connection or by the intentional or unintentional breaking of oneor other of the circuits in the building. This alarm carries upon anumber of its shafts contact-drums, hereinafter termed circuit-breakers, one of which is provided with alternate conducting and insulatedportions and against which bear brushes in the main circuit leading tothe central station. Normally these brushes are at the same time incontact with the conducting portion of the circuit-breaker and thecircuit is closed; but on the rotation of the circuit-breaker thecontact is alternately made and broken, the circuit opened and closed,and the central station is notified by the printing on the register ofthe number and character of makes and breaks in the circuit. This deviceis more particularly intended for use upon my fire-alarm system forwhich I have applied for Letters Patent, my application having beenfiled of even date herewith, Serial No. 415,053.

Referring to the drawings, 10 10 represent suitable side plates, inwhich are journaled the shafts of the train of gears, 11 representingthe main or primary shaft, which carries a spring 12 and a gear-wheell3, meshing with a gear-whee1 14, the shaft 15 of which extends outsidethe frame-Work and carries one of the circuit-breakers 5, which is usedfor opening another circuit. The gear-wheel 13 also serves to impart arotative motion atagreater speed to a shaft 16 through the medium of apinion 17, the shaft 16 being rotated four times while the shaft 15 isrotated once. The shaft 16 also extends outside the frame-work andcarries the circuit-breaker a.

On a shaft 18 is mounted a pinion engaging with the teeth of a wheel onthe shaft 16. There is also mounted upon this shaft an escapementwheel19, with which engages anordinary form of escapement-block 20, fixedupon a shaft 21, which is provided with a governing-fan 22. Thegear-wheel 14:, which is mounted upon the shaft 15, is provided on itsopposite faces with disks 23 24, in which are cut grooves or notches 2526, the groove or notch 25 in the disk 23 being at an angle of aboutninety-two degrees from the notch 26 in the disk 24.

Suitably mounted in the framework is a rock-shaft 27, on which iscarried a lever 28, provided at its lower end with an armature 29 undercontrol of an electromagnet 30, the upper end of the lever 28 beingnormally in engagement with one of the Wings of the governing-fan 22 andacting through the fan to prevent the movement of the train of gears. Onthis shaft 27 is likewise secured an arm 31, the upper end of Which isnormally in engagement with the groove or notch 25 in the disk 23. It isheld in engagement therewith by a spring 32, extending from the lowerend of the lever 28 to a fixed point on the frame,

the tension of the spring being adjusted in any suitable manner.

On a cross-shaft is mounted a'levcr 34, one end of which is providedwith a toe 35, normally pressed against the periphery of the disk 24 andheld in contact therewith by a spring 36, the tension of which may beadjustedin any suitable manner. This toe 35 is adapted to enter intoengagement with the groove or notch 26 in the disk 24. The contact-drums4 and 5 are secured to the shafts 16 and 15, and to suitable insulatedblocks 37 38 are secured contact-brushes, to which the variousline-wires are electrically connected and through which the circuits arealtern atcly made and broken.

In order that the operation of this alarm may be more readilyunderstood, I have shown in Figs Sand 9 diagrams illustrating theperipheries of the circuit-breakers 4 and 5 extended and with theirbrushes in the positions they occupy normally when the alarm is notacting.

Referring to Fig. 9,42 represents the mainline wire from the centralreceiving-station. 43indicatesashuntfromthemain linethrough brushes 99and 100 in contact with the conducting-surface of a circuit-breaker 8,carried by the shaft 16, from thence through brushes 101 and 102 incontact with the conductingsurface of the circuit-breaker 9, carried byshaft 15, to an electro-magnet 30 of high resistance, and from thence tothe return-wire of the main line. The drum 9 is locked with the brushesin the position shown in Fig. 9, and the disk 23 is locked in the mannerillus-; trated in Fig. 5. The resistance of the elec-%' tro-magnet 30 tothe passage of the current is? greater than the resistance of the line,and when the line is in good order the magnet will therefore not beenergized. If, however, a break should occur in the main line, the cur-irent Will pass through the shunt and energize the magnet, so that thelocking mechanism? will then assume the position illustrated inl Fig. 6and the train of gears be allowed to ro-i tate. After thecircuit-breaker 8 has rotated four times and the number of the building-42 in the present instancehas been sounded four times the brushes 99 and100 will again rest in the positions in which they are now shown in Fig.9; but the brushes'lOl and 102 will rest in different posit-ions fromthose shown in Fig. 9, owing to the fact that the circuit-breaker 9 hasnot entirely completed a single revolution, the toe 35 on the lever 34having been forced into engagement with the notch or groove 26 in thedisk 24, thereby stopping the parts, as illustrated in Fig. 7. The brush102 then rests on an insulated block on the circuit-breaker 9 and thebrush 104 is in contact with the conducting-surface of thecircuit-breaker, so that the current, instead of passing continuouslythrough the electro-magnet 30, passes through a wire 43 to thereturn-wire of the main line.

Fig. 8 represents a fire-alarm system in which two of these alarms areemployed, one carrying the circuit-breakers 4 and 5 and the othercarrying the circuit-breakers 6 and '7. In this figure the heavystraight lines (marked 42) indicate the main line with the currentconstantly on, and the light lines indicate local circuits, which arenormally not ener gized, while the heavy-waved lines 59 indicate wiresleading from the electromagnets to the ground.

On the main ingoing line are brushes 86 85 in contact with theconducting-surface of the circuit-breaker 6 and brushes 64 65 in contactwith the conducting-surface of the circuit-breaker 4. On the outgoingwire are brushes 67 66 in contact with the circuitbreaker 4 and brushes87 88 in contact with the circuit-breaker 6. The ground-wire 59 has alsoa brush 70 normally in contact with the insulated portion of saidcircuit-breaker 4.

48 represents a local wire running parallel with the main line 42 andterminating at an electro-magnet 30, the current passing through twobrushes 55 56, normally in contact with the conducting-surface of thecircuit-breaker 5. Bet-ween this line and the mainline are a number ofnormally open thermostats, switches, or other contacts 39, so arrangedthat when one or the other of them is closed by hand or automatically,as in the case of ther mostats when subjected to any high degree ofheat, the connection between the main and local line will be establishedthrough such switch contact or thermostat and the current groundedthrough the wire 59. The magnet 30 in the local circuit being thusenergized unlocks the train of gears of the first alarm, permitting thecircuit-breakers to rotate and make and break the circuit in the mainline 42 through the brushes 65 and the groundwire contact 70. After thecircuit-breaker 4 has rotated four times and the number of the buildinghas been signaled four times to the central station the circuit-breaker5 islocked in the same manner, as previously described with reference tothe circuit-breaker 9, and

the circuit is then completed through the brush 55, the conductingportion 74 of the clrcuit-breaker, the brush 76, and the wire 77 to abrush 78 in contact with the conducting;

portion of the circuit-breaker 7. The circuit is completed through abrush 79 and wire 80 to the magnet 30 and ground-wire 59. This magnet isthus energized and the alarm is re-- peated at the central station bythe revolving of the circuit-breaker 6 and making and breaking of thecircuit through the wires and 86. After the circuit-breakers 6 and 7have started their revolutions the brush 79 rests on the insulatedportion of the circuit-breaker, and a brush 93 is brought intoelectrical contact wit-h the conducting-surface of the circult-breaker,permitting the current to travel through a Wire 94, leading to analarm-gon or to another alarm, if desired. a

1 Usually the first mechanical alarm is for the purpose of sounding theprimary alarm,

and it will be operated either in case of fire or if the house-lines begrounded; but if the cation, filed of even date herewith, the alarm maybe used for the purpose of signaling trouble on other circuits, ifdesired.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patcut-- 1. A signaling-alarm comprising a pair ofcircuit-breakers, a normally-locked train of power-driven gears adaptedto rotate said circuit-breakers at different speeds, insulated andconducting surfaces on said circuit-breakers, a notched disk rotated bythe gears, and an arm adapted to engage therewith, the insulated andconducting surfaces being so arranged With respect to the notches in thedisk that one of said circuit-breakers may be stopped at a predeterminedpoint and the path of the current through the conductingsnrfaces of thecontact-breaker changed, substantially as specified.

2. A signaling-alarm comprising a pair of circuit-breakers, anormally-locked train of power-driven gears adapted to rotate saidcircuit-breakers, a notched disk carried by said train of gears, arock-shaft 27, an arm 31, adapted to engage with one of the notches insaid disk and lock the same, an armature connected to said rockshaft, anelectro-magnet controlling said armature, a lever 34, having one of itsends adapted to engage with the second notch in said disk, and a springconnecting the opposite end of said lever to a fixed point on the frame,substantially as specified.

3. A circuit-breaker for a mechanical signalingalarm, comprising a ringof conducting material extending entirely around the circuit-breaker,and insulating portions so ar ranged on either side of said ring thatthe stoppage of the circuit-breaker at a predetermined point aftercompleting its rotation will re-establish the main circuit throughanother path, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEWIS G. ROWAND,

Witnesses:

J NO. E. PARKER, HARRY SMITH,-

